Barotti - Vescovi ed Arcivescovi di Ferrara - 1781

FERRARA AND A THOUSAND YEARS OF ECCLESIASTICAL POWER: PORTRAYALS OF ITS BISHOPS AND ARCHBISHOPS
An fascinating work of Ferrarese history published in 1781, dedicated to the succession of the bishops and archbishops who spiritually governed the city through the centuries. Lorenzo Barotti reconstructs the events of the local Church, from the ancient origins of the diocese to the eighteenth century, weaving biographies, documents, and political happenings. Enriched by three engravings, including the coat of arms of Cardinal Bernardino Giraud, this first edition constitutes an important testimony to Ferrarese ecclesiastical erudition. A fine copy with wide margins, preserved in a characteristic period binding decorated in the style of the era.

ABSTRACT
First edition of the Series de' Vescovi ed Arcivescovi di Ferrara by Lorenzo Barotti (1724–1801), published in Ferrara in 1781 at Francesco Pomatelli and dedicated to Cardinal Bernardino Giraud. The work provides a documented chronological reconstruction of Ferrara’s episcopal history, from the earliest signs of Christianization of the territory to the prelats of the modern era. Through biographical notices, archival references, ecclesiastical documents, and historical observations, Barotti outlines the succession of the bishops, illustrating their religious, political, and administrative activity. Particular attention is paid to the relations between episcopal authority, the city of Ferrara, the Este Duchy, and the Holy See. The narrative includes the events of the ancient see of Voghenza, the gradual transfer of the ecclesiastical center to Ferrara, and the development of the diocesan institutions. The edition features three engravings, one of which depicts the cardinal's coat of arms of the dedicatee. The volume preserves important interest for local history, ecclesiastical genealogy, and the reconstruction of northern Italian religious institutions.

WHY TO BUY
A work of particular interest for collectors of Ferrarese history, local bibliography, ecclesiastical genealogy, and Italian publications of the eighteenth century. The Series de' Vescovi ed Arcivescovi di Ferrara constitutes an important reference tool for reconstructing the succession of the diocesan titulars and the role exercised by the Church in Ferrara’s political and social history. The documentary value is enhanced by the use of historical and archival testimonies, which allow tracing the evolution of Ferrarese ecclesiastical institutions over a long chronological span. Particularly significant is the reference to relations between religious power and the Este dynasty, protagonists of city history for several centuries. The copy stands out for the remarkable freshness of the paper, wide margins, the presence of the engravings, and the distinctive calf-bound binding with rustic decorations. Very slight wormholes do not compromise the overall appreciable state of preservation. An uncommon volume, especially suitable for libraries of Emilian history, Este collections, and specialist eighteenth-century erudition collections.

MARKET VALUE
The first Ferrarese edition of 1781 belongs to the specialist market of Italian local history, where works devoted to ecclesiastical institutions and episcopal genealogies maintain stable interest. For the described copy, considering its excellent state of preservation, wide margins, the presence of the three engravings, and the decorated binding, a ballpark commercial valuation could lie between 400 and 600 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Muted cardboard binding with title on a label affixed to the spine and boards decorated with rustic motifs. Text in Italian, with documentary references and Latin quotations. Three engravings, including one depicting Bernardino Giraud’s cardinal heraldry, dedicatee of the work. Imprimatur dated 1781 present. Copy with wide margins and in-barbe. Minor and sporadic wormholes. In ancient books with a long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing contains AI Visuals. Please refer to the original photographs to verify the object’s actual conditions. Images are an integral part of the description. Pp. (2), 12nn; 160.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Lorenzo Barotti.
Serie de' Vescovi ed Arcivescovi di Ferrara del Signor Abbate Lorenzo Barotti.
Ferrara, per Francesco Pomatelli, 1781.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Series de' Vescovi ed Arcivescovi di Ferrara sits within the great tradition of Italian eighteenth-century historical erudition, marked by interest in archival research, the reconstruction of local institutions, and the publication of documents relating to the history of cities. Ferrara possesses a particularly ancient ecclesiastical tradition, whose origins are linked to the see of Voghenza, a religious center attested in antiquity and later replaced by Ferrara as the seat of the bishopric. In the Middle Ages, the Ferrarese bishops exerted significant influence not only on religious life but also on the civil, economic, and political organization of the territory. The consolidation of the Este lordship progressively altered the balance between ecclesiastical authority and temporal power, creating a complex network of relations between the ducal court, the cathedral chapter, and the Holy See. The elevation of the diocese to an archdiocese in 1735 represented one of the most important events in its institutional history. Barotti reconstructs these events through a succession of episcopal biographies that allow tracing the city’s transformations through the centuries. The work reflects the method of eighteenth-century ecclesiastical erudition, in which the study of chronicles, inscriptions, notarial acts, and archival documents was used to establish chronologies, attributions, and historical successions. Its importance extends beyond religious history: through the bishops’ biographies, fundamental aspects of Ferrarese political, cultural, and social life emerge.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Lorenzo Barotti was born in Ferrara on December 20, 1724, and died in the same city on December 18, 1801. Son of the scholar and historian Giovanni Andrea Barotti and Elisabetta Lollio, he received a solid literary education under his father’s guidance. On October 3, 1740, he entered the Society of Jesus as a novice and pursued rhetoric and philosophy in Ferrara, later dedicating himself to moral theology in Bologna. Despite his Jesuit training, he showed some weariness of scholastic formality, developing a literary style characterized by clarity of exposition and particular attention to moral and historical aspects. In 1777 he supervised the posthumous publication of the Memorie Istoriche di Letterati Ferraresi by his father, in a monumental illustrated edition that contributed to the valorizzation of the city’s Renaissance culture. The initiative earned him recognition among important literary circles and admission to the Accademia degli Agiati of Rovereto under the scholarly name of Crimanio. In 1779 he published a Ragguaglio on the life of Alessandro Zorzi, while in 1781 he issued the Series de' Vescovi ed Arcivescovi di Ferrara, to which his brother Cesare Barotti also contributed, collecting a substantial portion of the historical material. In 1785 he published in Parma two volumes of Lezioni sacre, considered among his most significant works for the clarity of moral interpretation and simplicity of prose. He also cultivated poetry, publishing in 1787 the short poem Il Caffè, composed for the wedding Onesti-Falconieri. In 1793 he published a new edition of the Memorie Istoriche, enriched with a second volume from his own research. He was one of the most interesting figures of Ferrarese erudition in the late eighteenth century, engaged in preserving the historical, literary, and ecclesiastical memory of the city.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The first edition of the Series de' Vescovi ed Arcivescovi di Ferrara appeared in 1781 at the Pomatelli printing house, active in Ferrarese book production in the eighteenth century. The work was published under the name of Lorenzo Barotti and dedicated to Cardinal Bernardino Giraud, an important ecclesiastical figure tied to the papal court. A particularly significant aspect of the editorial history concerns the involvement of his brother Cesare Barotti, born 1729 and died 1782, who played a decisive role in gathering the documentary material. Lorenzo publicly acknowledged his brother’s role in preparing the work, which thus also stands as testimony to intellectual collaboration within the Barotti family. The edition was conceived as a chronological repertory designed to collect and organize news relating to Ferrarese bishops and archbishops, offering scholars a documentary base for subsequent historical research. The publication fits within the tradition of episcopal chronotaxis, a scholarly genre widely disseminated between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and particularly important for reconstructing the origins of Italian dioceses. The imprimatur of 1781 confirms ecclesiastical approval for printing. The engravings and the elegant layout attest to the care given to presenting a work intended for a cultivated audience, including clergy, local history scholars, and members of civic institutions. The original print run is not recorded with precision. The first edition today holds particular interest for reconstructing Ferrarese ecclesiastical historiography before the later nineteenth-century reorganizations.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
The Series de' Vescovi ed Arcivescovi di Ferrara of 1781 represents an important testimony of Ferrarese historical-erudite production in the eighteenth century. The work holds particular value for reconstructing episcopal successions, the history of ecclesiastical institutions, and the relations between ecclesiastical authority and the city of Ferrara. Also significant is the collaboration between Lorenzo and Cesare Barotti, which gives the publication a special role in the tradition of local historical studies. The volume documents the contribution of eighteenth-century erudition to the preservation of archival testimonies and to the construction of ecclesiastical chronologies. The first Ferrarese edition, printed by Francesco Pomatelli, is distinguished by the presence of Cardinal Bernardino Giraud’s engraved coat of arms, by the imprimatur of 1781, and by the careful organization of biographical notices. The work constitutes a meaningful reference for collections dedicated to the history of Ferrara, to the Este dynasty, to the history of the Italian Church, and to Emilian eighteenth-century bibliography.